Bubble Blowing Arctiid

[Doug Yanega]

>Greetings:
>While checking my light trap today I spotted a fresh Grammia virgo.  When I
>picked the moth up with my forceps it started to blow bubbles from the top of
>it's head.  There seemed to be two openings between the head and thorax from
>which it exude a liquid that formed small bubbles.  Can any one give me
>information on this phenomenon?  Is it a characteristic of Arctiids or just
>the genus Grammia?

Lots of Arctiids do it, at least here in Brazil - all the Dysschema species
hereabouts foam *profusely* from the thorax when handled. Many other genera
(esp. Hypercompe) just have copious reflexive bleeding. James Adams (on the
list here somewhere) did his thesis on Arctiid defensive mechanisms, he
should have a pretty exhaustive list of which genera have this particular
thing.

Peace,

Doug Yanega    Depto. de Biologia Geral, Instituto de Ciencias Biologicas,
Univ. Fed. de Minas Gerais, Cx.P. 486, 30.161-970 Belo Horizonte, MG   BRAZIL
phone: 031-449-2579, fax: 031-441-5481  (from U.S., prefix 011-55)
                  http://www.icb.ufmg.br/~dyanega/
  "There are some enterprises in which a careful disorderliness
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